WEEK 3 SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 16
Ohio at Louisiana 7:00 p.m. ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 18
No. 16/18 Coastal Carolina at Buffalo 11:00 a.m. ESPN2
Elon at App State 2:30 p.m. ESPN+
Georgia Southern at No. 20/24 Arkansas 3:00 p.m. SEC Network
Arkansas State at Washington 3:15 p.m. Pac-12 Network
Charlotte at Georgia State 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
Incarnate Word at Texas State 6:00 p.m. ESPN3
Troy at Southern Miss 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
Jackson State at ULM 7:00 p.m. ESPN3
Alcorn State at South Alabama 7:00 p.m. ESPN3
All Times CT
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
PRIMETIME MATCHUP
Following a 27-24 victory over Nicholls in its home opener on Sept. 11, Louisiana will host Ohio at 7 p.m. \Thursday on ESPN. The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated the Bobcats in their most recent meeting, a 45-25 rout in Athens, Ohio, that halted a program-record 10-game home winning streak for Ohio. A victory would move Louisiana to 5-0 in non-conference home games under head coach Billy Napier.
SHUFFLE OFF TO BUFFALO
No. 16/18 Coastal Carolina will face its first road test of the 2021 season when it visits Buffalo at 11 a.m. \Saturday on ESPN2. The first-ever matchup between the two programs will pit two Chanticleer streaks against one another. Coastal Carolina owns a five-game winning streak in true road contests, but is 0-6 all-time against teams from the state of New York and 0-2 in games played in The Empire State. Ironically, the Chanticleers are coming off a 49-22 victory over former Bulls head coach Lance Leipold, who is now the head coach at Kansas. Leipold left Buffalo to take over the Kansas program in April 2021 after six years at the helm for the Bulls, including a 24-10 mark and three bowl appearances in his final three seasons.
THE NATURAL STATE
Georgia Southern will look for its first-ever victory in the state of Arkansas when it visits No. 20/24 Arkansas at 3 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. The Razorbacks are coming off a 40-21 win over No. 15/15 Texas, while the Eagles will attempt to rebound from a 38-6 loss to Florida Atlantic. Georgia Southern is 0-2 all-time in The Natural State, with both losses coming to conference foe Arkansas State (2016, 2019). Despite their infamous 26-20 victory over Florida on Nov. 23, 2013, the Eagles are still looking for their first victory over an SEC opponent since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014.
PACK NOT PAC
Arkansas State will visit Washington at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Pac-12 Network. The first-ever meeting between the two programs will be the Red Wolves third all-time matchup against a member of the Pac12. The Red Wolves are 0-2 in those prior matchups, which have each come on the road against a Top 10-ranked team—a 57-34 loss at No. 5 Oregon in 2012 and a 55-6 loss at No. 8 USC in 2015. A victory would mark the second-straight season that the Red Wolves have defeated a Power Five opponent, following a 35-31 win at Kansas State in 2020.
IRON MAN
Super senior left guard Shamarious Gilmore will establish a new program record when he plays in and starts his 50th game in a Georgia State uniform Saturday, when the Panthers host Charlotte at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Gilmore is the first four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection in Georgia State history— Honorable Mention (2017, 2018), Third Team (2019) and First Team (2020)—and was a Preseason All-Sun \Belt Conference First Team pick in 2021.